Sea battle at Kallipolis
| date | July 324 |
|---|---|
| place | Hellespont ( Dardanelles ) |
| output | Victory of Constantine |
| consequences | Decisive victory of Constantine I. |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
Constantine's fleet |
Licinius' fleet |
| Commander | |
|
Crispus |
Abantus |
| Troop strength | |
| 80 ships ( Liburnians ) | 200 ships ( Trier ) |
| losses | |
|
unknown |
130 ships, 5000 men |
The sea battle at Kallipolis was fought during the conflict between the Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius in 324 near Kallipolis in the Hellespont . Constantine's fleet was commanded by his eldest son, Crispus , and the opposing fleet was commanded by a man named Abantus or Amandus.
prehistory
The battle took place as part of the last civil war between Constantine and Licinius, which sealed the dissolution of the Roman tetrarchy . The two emperors had fought several times before, but in the meantime made an uneasy peace. In 324 the decision was finally made when Constantine attacked the east of the empire under Licinius. After his defeat in the Battle of Adrianople , Licinius withdrew to Asia Minor via Byzantium . He left behind a strong garrison in the barely conquerable Byzantium, which could also be supplied from the sea in the event of a siege. So he let his fleet guard the Bosphorus. Constantine had to achieve naval rule in order to get to Asia. While Constantine was beginning the siege of Byzantium, his son was supposed to gain control of the sea.
Course of the battle
The two available sources - an anonymous work on the life of Constantine, the Origo Constantini , and the pagan historian Zosimos - disagree about the course of the battle . The Origo reports that Crispus inflicted a devastating defeat on the Abantus fleet and partly destroyed and partly taken possession of its ships. He himself barely escaped the disaster. According to Zosimos, Crispus led a fleet of 80 ships to the Hellespont, where the opposing commander Abantus confronted him with 200 ships. Abantus tried to surround the Crispus' fleet due to the greater strength of the fleet. However, in these waters the large ships were at a disadvantage, as they could not operate as well as the Liburnians of the Crispus. This enabled Crispus to make better use of his ships. A defeat of the Abantus was prevented only by the falling night, in which both fleets withdrew to their ports. The following day, the Abantus' fleet was destroyed by a storm. Crispus was able to advance to Byzantion undisturbed.
consequences
Through this victory Constantine was able to take Byzantium and translate it to Asia, where he began his preparations for the next battle with Licinius ( Battle of Chrysopolis ). After this battle Constantine had achieved sole rule. Licinius was interned in Thessaloniki and later murdered.
literature
- Charles M. Odahl: Constantine and the Christian Empire . London 2004.